All Signs Point To Old

I had lunch with a dynamo of a woman recently. She’s 89 years old. Sharp, witty, and fantabulous. Everything I want to be at her age. Any age, really.

As we were leaving the restaurant she said to me, “Kristine, you are obviously in your late forties. I want to tell you, you look great. There’s not a wrinkle on you!”

Well.

I am not in my late forties. And I knew the polite thing to do was to accept the compliment with grace and thank the woman. But I couldn’t do it.

“Actually, I’m forty-two. But I appreciate the compliment very much.”

“Forty-two,” she said. “Well, you’re a young one then!”

Holy shit! Wait a second! That means that an eighty-nine year old woman’s gut instinct was to categorize me as NOT YOUNG?

I felt sick. A burst of heat emanated from the center of my body. There’s no doubt. It was my very first hot flash.

 

17 insightful thoughts by 17 brilliant people

  1. That bites! I am not sure if a cliche like “the only age that matters is the age of your soul” would help you so maybe I will just dedicate this glass of wine for you *cheers*.

  2. Maybe she could tell you really had your shit together and assumed you must have more wisdom and experience than seen on your face. If not, she’s probably got cataracts.

  3. Here’s the thing.

    Old people and vision? Discerning shape an texture.

    Not so much.

    Really, you were little more than a fuzzy blob gooped in Vaseline, barely visible through the cateracts.

    If she had called you a man, well, then we’d have a reason to be upset.

Whatchya thinkin stinkin?

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